Bounce house rules in Tennessee: permits, inspection, and insurance
State-regulated. Inflatable devices are named in the unit’s own scope.
Informational only. Informational only, not legal advice. Amusement-device rules change between legislative sessions, and several of the entries here record changes made in the last three years. The binding authority is the agency named on this page. Confirm the current rule with them before you set up.
Reviewed August 2026
Binding authority: the Amusement Device Unit
Who regulates inflatables in Tennessee
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Workplace Regulations and Compliance Division, Amusement Device Unit, Nashville
Permit or registration
Yes, an annual operating permit. Four items must reach the Amusement Device Unit: the permit application, proof of insurance, the inspection report, and the annual fee of $150, by check, money order or cashier’s check payable to the State of Tennessee.
Inspection
At least once annually by a qualified inspector, either provided by the commissioner or selected by the owner or insurer from the lists the department maintains, with written documentation that the device meets ASTM standards. The inspection report’s date of inspection must be within three months of the effective or start date of the operating permit.
Insurance required by the state
Yes. Minimum general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence.
Operator requirements
We could not confirm whether the state sets operator or attendant standards. Ask the Amusement Device Unit.
What an operator should know
The Amusement Device Unit’s published scope lists devices at amusement parks, carnivals, fairs, zip lines, inflatable devices and haunted houses, so there is no argument to be had about coverage. The three-month rule is the timing detail that trips operators up: an inspection that is fresh when you book it can go stale before the permit start date, so sequence the inspection against the permit rather than against the season.
Frequently asked questions
Does Tennessee require a permit for inflatables?
Yes, an annual operating permit. Inflatable devices are named in the Amusement Device Unit’s published scope.
What does a Tennessee amusement device permit cost?
$150 annually, by check, money order or cashier’s check payable to the State of Tennessee.
How fresh must a Tennessee inspection report be?
The date of inspection must be within three months of the effective or start date of the operating permit. An inspection booked too early goes stale.
How much insurance does Tennessee require?
Minimum general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence.
Sources
Every claim above traces to one of these. Where a source is marked as one we could not open, nothing on this page rests on it: it is listed so you can try it yourself.
What to do with this
Knowing the rule is the first half. These four pages are the second half: registering the business, buying the coverage the rule assumes you carry, running a setup that would survive an inspection, and putting the terms in writing before a unit leaves the truck.
Keep the paperwork with the unit
Permits, inspection dates and certificates belong next to the unit they cover, not in a folder. BounceDay keeps each unit’s record with its bookings, so the certificate a venue asks for is one tap away on the delivery. Your checklists are your own templates; the safety standards in them are yours, not ours.
Rules change between sessions. Confirm the current position with the Amusement Device Unit before you set up.